Eaton teen takes Market Beef Show champion honors at Weld County Fair

Dalton Lind, 15, gets some help in grooming from his steer, Si, as he prepares for the Market Steer Show Friday morning at the Weld County Fair at Island Grove Park in Greeley. Friday's events featured every category in the Market Beef Show for the 2013 fair.

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When the livestock judge approached Bo Naibauer in the earlier rounds of the Weld County Fair’s Market Beef Show on Friday to say his 1,300-pound steer “stood out” to him, the 14-year-old from Eaton told himself he thought he had a chance to do well.

Bo’s instincts proved right.

Rounds later, after the event’s livestock judge, John Jacobs of Springfield, Ill., repeatedly applauded the dozens competitors for the quality of their animals, he selected Bo as the overall grand champion of the event.

“I’m excited,” Bo said of winning one of the Weld County Fair’s main events. “I may not look like it right now — it’s hot — but I really am excited.”

Bo had earned overall grand champion honors with another steer at a show last year in Briggsdale, but said earning the top spot at the Weld County Fair’s beef show — what many describe as the most competitive county fair in the state — is even more special.

Bo earned the top spot in Friday’s Market Beef Show with his cross breed Cat Daddy, purchased from Julian Fritz, a breeder near Greeley.

Up next for Bo and Cat Daddy is the Junior Livestock Sale, where last year’s overall grand champion, Alyssa DePorter, and her steer brought in a Weld County Fair record $17,000.

Monday afternoon’s Junior Livestock Sale will feature all of the top finishers in each of the market livestock competitions. Last year’s event brought in a total of $520,000 on the 345 animals sold.

Bo said his grand champion honors Friday were the result of long hours of walking, washing and working with Cat Daddy — and missing some baseball games here and there throughout the summer.